Sheet-receiving apparatus at the delivery end of printing and other machines.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

, W. I. WOOD & B. J. J. GOULDING. SHEET RECEIVING APPARATUS AT THE DELIVERY END OF PRINTING AND OTHER MACHINES.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN-.29, 1906.

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N 335,232 PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

i W. F. WOOD & 'B. J. J.'GOULDING.

SHEET RECEIVING APPARATUS AT vTHE DELIVERY END OF PRINTING AND OTHER MAGHINES.'

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, 1906.

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SHEET RECEIVING APPARATUS AT THE DELIVERY END OF PRINTING- AND OTHER MACHINES.

APELIOATION FILED JAN. 29, 1906.

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PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

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RINTIN'G SHEET RECEIVING APPARATUS AT THE DELIVERY END OF P AND OTHER MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1906.

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ery end thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WASHINGTON F. WOOD AND BENJAMIN ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO LINOTYPE AND LONDON, ENGLAND.

J. J. GOULDING, OF LONDON, MACHINERY LIMITED, OF

SHEET-RECEIVING APPARATUS AT THE DELIVERY END OF PRINTING AND OTHER MACHINES.

Application filed January 29,

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 20,1906.

1906. Serial No. 298,464.

enable others skilled in the art to which it ap- I pertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for receiving sheets at the delivery end of printing and other machines dealing with sheets.

It consists in dispensing with the usual delivery-board and substituting for it a series of trays, two of which trays are arranged columnwise upon a suitable support, each one independently removable and replaceable, and there is combined with this column of trays mechanism adapted to lift the remainder of the column after the full top tray has been removed, thereby making room between the then bottom tray and the support for a previously-removed and emptied tray.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification and read therewith, Figure 1 is a side I elevation of a Miehle printing-machine and of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the lifting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, corresponding therewith. Fig. 4 is a detail on a still larger scale. Fig. 5 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a modification of part of the tray lifting and releasing devices; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6 of-Fig. 5.

. 1 1 constitute the support of the column of trays. This support may be provided conveniently by a pair of angle-bars fixed to the respective sides of the machine at the deliv- The bottom tray 2 stands upon the support 1 the bottom one, 2. All the trays of the series are replicas of each other, and there may be as many trays in the series as may be required, but not more than two need be on the support at one time.

capable of a and the top one, 3, upon The height of the support lis adjusted to hold the top tray 3 on it at a suitable height to receive the sheets as they are'delivered from the machine. As a tray must receive the sheets, it is a little longer and wider than a sheet and has, preferably, only two sides and a back, the member opposite the-back being absent to'facilitate the entrance of .a sheet into the tray and the subsequent emptying of a full tray.

The sheets are delivered'by the machine 1nto the top tray 8, and this is to be removed from the support 1 when it is full, so that the next sheet will be delivered onto the tray 2,,

which, however, will then'have been lifted into the position of being the top tray by the mechanism described farther on. Thus a full top tray 3 must be removed clear of the columns of trays '3 2 during the time that elapses between two deliveries of the machine. The lift of the tray 2 will leave a space for an empty tray between it and the support 1, and such a tray having been once a full tray, but now an emptied one ready'for the column again, is pushed into the said space by the attendant. It is important that the empty tray should be inserted at the bottom of the column of trays in orderthat the proper sequence of thedelivere'd sheets may be preserved.

The tray (or trays) left on the supportl after the full top tray 3 has been taken away is lifted by the following mechanism: 5 5 are a set of fingers carried by the tops of a frame 6, from which they project toward the median line of the machine. Both frames 6 are common vertical reciprocating motion in suitable guides 7 8, fast to the frame 9 of the machine. The number of fingers may be varied, but they are always arranged symmetrically with reference to the support, and consequently with reference to the column of trays also.

Figs. 1 and 2 show two fingers to a set and a frame 6 as having the general conformation of a two-pronged'fork with prongs. set widely apart.

10 is a vertical port 1 opposite tioned to allow slot in each side ofv the supeach finger '5 and propor of the said finger entering it from the respective outer side of the support roller 15,

spective bracket 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

13 1s a cam fast on each end of the shaft 11 immediately under the respective frame 6.

The bottom end of the frame 6 terminates in a fork 14, in which is pivoted an antifrictionthis roller and the respective cam 13 bemg kept in engagement with each other by a spring 6 plus the weight of the frame 6 and set of fingers 5.

16 is a lever fast to the end of the shaft 11 on the feed side of the machine. This lever 16 is preferably a hand one. In Fig. 2 it is shown with the greater portion broken away. The cams 13 are so proportioned and set on their'shaft 11 that when the lever 16 is out of action the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and'3-the' frames 6 are in their lowest position, the rollers resting on the parts of the cam having the shorter radii 17, the parts of the cam having the longer radii 18 standing to one side of the rollers, as shown in Fig. 2. Between the parts of the cams having the shorter and longer radii the said cams are of gradually-increasing radius, while the parts having the longer radii are nearly concentric to form. rests for the frames 6. An empty tray is at this point pushed onto the support 1 under what is now the top tray. The fingers must now be disengaged from the said top tray and then dropped and returned to their normal position and reengaged under the bottom tray, as shown in Fig. 3. This disengagement and rengagement are effected by the following mechanism: 19 is a cam loose on the shaft 11. It has (see particularly Fig. 4) six quick rises 20 and as many quick drops 21, with six intermediate rests 22. The

angular distance between each rise 20 and drop 21 is large enough to receive the bot tom end of a vertical rod 23. This end consists, preferably, fork 25. One prong of this for 25 is pro longed into a second fork 26, that straddles the shaft 11 between the cam 19 and a collar 19*, fast on the shaft 11, to act as a guide for the rod 23 and fork 25.

2 7 is a six-toothed ratchet-wheel fast on the shaft 11 close up to the cam 19 on the opposite side of it to the fork 26, and 28 is a spring-actuated pawl pivoted on the side of the cam 19 and in constant engagement with the ratchet-wheel 27.

29, Fig. 3, is a V-wedge on the top end of the rod 23, standing in a slotted guide 30,

of a roller 24, ivoted in a carried by a bracket 31, fast to the end of the machine-frame 9.

32 33 are two push-rods, the inner end of each of which rests within a slot in the guide and close up to the respective face of the wedge 29, while the outer end of the said rod is in touch with the respective frame 6.

34 is a slot in each top guide 7 to allow as much lateral motion to the respective frame 6 as is necessary for the withdrawal of the fingers 5 from below the 35 is a spring pulling on each frame 6 from some convenient fixed point in the machineframe to make the respective fingers 5 reengage the bottom tray.

The successive lift, disengagement, drop, and rengagement of the fingers 5 are eflect ed as follows: As soon as the top tray 3 has received as many sheets as it can hold it is removed, and the hand-lever 16 is turned (looking at Fig. 2) to the right hand through an arc equal to the quotient of three hundred and sixty degrees divided by the number of sets of rises 20, rests 22, and drops 21 that there are in the cam 19-in the case illustrated six-thereby turning the two cams 13 13 to the right and lifting both sets of fingers 5 together until the bottom tray 2 stands in the position from which the top tray 3 has just been removed. The rests 18 18 of both the cams are now under the frames 6, and the weight of the lever 16 holds them in that position. This removal of the top tray 3 and lift of the bottom tray must be effected between the delivery of two sheets-one that went into the tray that has just been removed and one that is delivered into the tray 2, now the top one. An emptied tray is now pushed onto the support 1 under what is now the top tray, so providing for the top tray being held in its receiving position without the fingers 5. The-lever 16 is now returned to its original position, this return making the ratchet-Wheel 27 turn the cam 19 likewise through a sixth of a circle,thereby forcing the wedge 29 up between the pushrods 32 33, rocking the frame 6 6 outward till the two sets of'fingers 5 are clear of the bottom tray, and letting the frames 6 6 drop again, the rod 23 at the same time dropping down the respective drop 21 and withdrawing the wedge 29 from between the ushrods 32 33, whereupon the springs 35 u l the frames 6 6 inward and rengage the ngers 5 under the bottom tray.

It may and frequently does happen that the machine will have someof its organs standing or Working in the path of the fingers 5 as the latter drop. It is so in the case of the Miehle machine, and to meet such a case the fingers 5 are pivoted by horizontal pivots 36 on their respective frames, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to allow of their clearing the bottom tray 2, and

said organs, after which each finger drops onto a bracket 37, which is shaped and carried by the frame 6 to hold the finger in proper position to engage weight of a finger 5 sufIices to bring it down upon its bracket 37 soon enough, but a special returning-spring may be used, if necessary.

The present invention cannot confer its full benefit upon the user of it unless the sheets are fed with perfect regularity to the machine.

The present invention is applicable to all,

machines of the class specified whether they are fed by hand or automatically. To meet the case of manual feeding, it includes the combination, with the'mechanism already described, the machine to which the invention is applied, and the ordinary platform 38 upon which the feeder boy stands, of a feed-table 39, which is raised automatically by the machine for the thickness of one sheet at a time. The means by which the table 39 is raised are well known. They consist .of a pawl 40, rocked once by each rotation of the machine-cylinder 41*, a ratchet-wheel 41, turned with a step-by-step motion by the pawl 40, a miterpinion 42, fast to the ratchet-wheel 41 and gearing with a second miter-pinion 43, fast to a vertical screwthreaded shaft 44, turning in bearings without longitudinal advance and engaging in a screw-threaded nut 45, fast to the table 39. The feeder boy takes a quantity-say a hundred or two-of sheets off the table 39 and fans them out upon the feedboard 46, from which he feeds them one by one to the cylinder 41. It is a feature of this combination that the table 39 is close to the feed-board 46 and that the platform 38 is adjacent to them both, so that the feeder boy has not to move away from the feed-board 46 to get at his supply of fresh sheets, because the rising table 39 is always holding it close to his right hand.

In the modified arrangement illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the outward and disengaging movement of the fingers 5 is effected by means of studs or antifriction-rollers 47, projecting laterally each from the stem of one of the frames 6 and acting in conjunction with an inclined cam or switch 48. This cam is pivoted at 49 to a bracket 50, secured to the machine-frame 9, and its vibrating or nonpivoted end is normally held in contact with a stop 51, fast to the bracket 50 by'a suitable spring 52 or equivalent device. This modified arrangement operates as follows: When the frames 6 are raised to lift the tray 2, the rollers 47 abut against the inclined under side of the cams or switches 48 and cause the lat ter to turn outward on their respective pivots 49 against the action of the springs 52. When the rollers 47 leave the cams or switches 48, the springs 52 again draw the latter to the the bottom tray 2. The

stops 51, all these operations taking place without in any way affecting the upward movement of the frames 6. When during the descent of the frames 6 under the action of the respective springs 6 plus the weight of themselves and the fingers 5 the rollers 47 impinge upon and travel over the upper inclined surfaces of the cams or switches 48, the frames 6 are caused to swing outward against the action of the springs 35, and thereby to move the fingers 5 out of engagement with the tray 2. When the rollers 47 leave the cams or switches 48 during the descending motion, the springs 35 again return the frames 6 to their respective vertical positions, in which the fingers 5 are again in engagement with the tray 2, ready for the next following tray-lifting operation.

Instead of employing two springs, such as 6 35, for each of the frames 6, as previously described, a single spring arranged at a suitable angle may be used for exerting a pull on the said frame, which will serve both to hold the respective roller 15 in contact with its cam 13 andto return the said frame to its vertical position to cause the fingers to rengage with the bottom tray.

Instead of forming the support 1 1 of a pair of angle-bars, as hereinbefore explained, it may be constructed of four fiat bars, in which arrangement the two parts or bars marked 1 1 in Figs. 3 and 5 for preventing lateral displacement of the tray 3 Would be independent of the parts or bars marked 1 1 in the said figures, suitable provision being made to secure the tray 2 also from latera displacement.

We claim 1. The combination of. machine-frame; a fixed support at the delivery end thereof adapted to support a column of detachable trays; sets of fingers adapted to engage under the, bottom tray thereon and to lift it means for lifting. the fingers and allowing them to descend; means for disengaging them from under the lifted tray; means for actuating the before-mentioned means in proper sequence, and means for reengaging the fingers under the bottom tray on the suport. p 2. The combination of fixed support; sets of lifting-fingers symmetrically arranged with reference to the .said support; a rising and'dropping frame to carry each set of fingelrs; a cam mechanism to lift the said sets ofgers; a cam mechanism to disengage the fingers from the support; lever connected with both said cam mechanisms to actuate the first-mentioned one by one motion and the second one by a reverse motion; and automatic means for rengaging the fingers.

3. The combination of superimposed movable trays; a fixed support therefor; sets of lifting-fingers adapted to engage under the bottom tray; a rising and dropping frame to carry each set of fingers; a cam mechanism WASHINGTON F. WOOD. to lift the said set of fingers; automatic cam BENJ. J. J. GOULDIN G.

5 mechanism to disengage the fingers from the Witnesses to the execution of Washington trays, lever connected With the first-named Fernando Wood: cam mechanism to raise the fingers, in engage- HANSON C. OOXE, ment with the bottom tray and to-allow the JOHN BAKER.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two wltnesses.

frame to descend and be acted upon by the Witnesses to the execution of Benjamin 1o automatic cam mechanism to disengage the fingers from the trays; and automatic means for rengaging the fingers.

Joseph John Goulding:

E. CHARLES STRATTON, WARWICK HY WILLIAMS. 

